I do asearch on my name (there aren't too many people with the same name on the internet) & it's emailed to me so I can see what's being said about me or what is available online. I saw my posts here shortly after I joined and decided not to change my name or privacy status.

I created a public page about my beliefs years ago: http://www.joycedowling.com/believe.html and I have had no problems as a result (and I live in a pretty fundamentalist county). I've been hoping my nieces and nephews would read it and give up fundamentalism, especially if that belief includes close-mindedness to us "heathens".

[Well, after I saved the message, I noticed that I did change my username - I had forgotten I did that.]

I am not overly paranoid about this but it dies seem prudent to use some other handle besides my name.

I am quite computer illiterate is my problem. How do I Chang my username at this site. I went to my profile page and I did not see any place to change my username. Do I simply change my "full name"? And if I do that will that screw up my account here in any significant way?

It is of value to the cause to have as many of us out as much as possible, but it should be by the individuals choice rather than by default on a profile page.

Yes, your "Full Name" is your username that will show up (for example, "Reply by David Anam"). You also need to go to the "My Page" tab and change your address, which will default to the original name that you used when you signed up.

While my atheism is something I do not wish to hide--I'm in no hurry to pretend I'm an idiot!--I do understand there are many reasons one would need to and it certainly would be nice to have more controls in this social network to do so here. However, it looks like we do have options in changing our username, and so that is probably your best choice if that is of great concern.

I had to face a similar decision in regards to a comic book I cowrite (www.chefsinblack.com), which is, to put moderately, NSFW due to heretical and sexual content. It's a comic I take great pride in and I work really hard on, but I worry sometimes that simpleminded people may not understand that it is just a story and a laugh. Were it discovered by those who control my employment, the comic might complicate my life. In the end, however, after consulting with some people whose opinions I take great stock in, I decided to stand by my work and if there are consequences, so be it, I stand by them as me, not some pen name.

When I signed up I did think it was a bit odd to have them ask for my full name but no username. I entered my full name and two days later while googling my name I started popping up. I appreciate that some people are probably more comfortable with it than others. I for one wish to control who knows and how they find out. I went back in and changed my username. This should be VERY clearly stated when signing up!!! I almost choked on my diet coke when my name popped up several times under "atheist nexus".